


Resurgam 198?

by EliLeFey



Category: Arthurian Mythology, Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-04-18 19:13:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4717331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EliLeFey/pseuds/EliLeFey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus Snape is put out to stud by Eli and is used by the Avalon Mothers to allow two souls to reincarnate</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I know it's "jumping the shark" to add children to a plot, but it's important that Severus has someone to love and be loved by.

**Prologue:  Samhain in Tibet**

 The first big storm hit the valley where Eli and her unit were stationed that day. She was burning a candle and incense, looking in her portable scrying mirror. Yojimbo was in the corner of the structure, the village temple with the other horses, who were tending some orphaned children and yaks, whose caregivers were lost or fighting elsewhere.

The daemons did not function well at the altitude and extreme cold conditions found in the mountains. They were essentially shut down for half of the year, and the Guardians were taking advantage of this weakness by destroying their portals and deprogramming the Terrans the daemons had under mind control. Astral projection was not permitted in an active war zone, it was simply too dangerous. Her only contact with Avalon was the mirror.

Takeshi knew where she was and he came to visit her as soon as the veil opened. “I can’t stay here long, Eli, you know I’m expected to play in Avalon tonight. You know there is some serious shit happening, Tom Riddle is about to murder again, and your Prince is right in the middle of this . .. there is nothing that can be done now. He hugged her and opened the veil.

She lit a candle to guide anyone who wanted to visit her. She knew who it was before they appeared.  She had seen what happened with her mirror.  She couldn't believe how both of them were caught out without their wands.  Considering how much they needed their wands to do any magic, and considering how they knew they were under siege, she was shocked at their carelessness.  She slept with her weapons, Yojimbo never removed his battle gear, unless they were in a stand down situation.  It was just another example of the poor training and lack of discipline she'd been critical of with the Ministry.  

Lily and James came through the veil, and Lily threw herself into Eli’s arms. “He murdered us . .. Eli, you must help me now, help Severus guard my son … “ she cried on Eli’s shoulder as James Potter told her what happened.

“Your father told us where you were, Lily said you could help, you were the only one who could.”

 

The mirror showed the face of the Crone at the Spring, looking at her. Eli was shocked to see her on this night, that she would take the time out of the rituals to speak directly. “Eli, my dear one, we sent these two to you, your Prince is in danger. As Eli knows, we put our mark on him, she can explain more to you, Lily. Let me connect you to what is happening now …”

the mirror misted over and the scene shifted to the scene of the crime. The three of them watched as Severus arrived. Eli choked up.  They watched as Severus sobbed, holding Lily, watched him comforting Harry, then scooping up her cat as he departed.  She could not speak for some time after the scene faded, after others had arrived and taken Harry away.

Lily looked into Eli’s eyes. “You have to keep Severus alive now, Eli. He has to help Harry. I am so sorry for hurting him, I hope someday he can forgive me. If I hadn’t been so horrible he never would have joined those murderers”

Eli touched her third eye. “I will do whatever I can to help Severus bring Tom Riddle to justice. I bet you’d like to know why Severus is so important to us. He is the direct male descendant of Arthur. And he’s got Faerie blood, he is our Prince, you see.

“ James shook his head. “Oh, get off it, that greasy haired git?”

“Show some fucking respect, Potter, I didn’t invite you, and if you hadn’t been such a fucking bully and thug, maybe Severus could have been on your side, but no, you had to go trust a vermin like Pettigrew, that whack job Black, and a werewolf, you really set yourself up, Potter, maybe now you can take the time to reflect on your behavior. I loathed you when you were alive and I see no reason to change my opinion of you now.”

 

He hung his head. “I know I was wrong, I know this is my fault, getting murdered has a way of enlightening one in a hurry.I know, it was stupid of me to leave my wand where I couldn't get it.  ”

"I wasn't going to say anything, but yes, it was."

"You don't have to remind me, you and Severus would never have been so careless."

“I really don’t care, Potter. I will honor Lily, and her son needs protectors. Good luck in your next incarnations, Potter. You’ve got quite a bit of karmic debt to work off.”

She turned away from James. Lily smiled at her. “So this is Tibet, not the best time to be a tourist here, is it?”

She walked over to Yojimbo, who greeted her. The horse had a baby bundled in a cloth hammock resting against his chest.

“He keeps them warm at night, all the animals huddle together during the storms, it’s the only way to survive.” A small child was swaddled in blankets on his back, held in place with a harness.

“Are they orphans?” Lily asked.

“Some of them.” Lily thought of poor Harry, all alone.  James walked to the window, then decided to explore the temple.  He didn't want to face Eli. He was ashamed of himself.  He hadn't put up any sort of fight, not like Lily, who used her own body as a shield.  This was his fault.  He'd been warned; he should have known better.  Eli told him.   Firenze had tried to warn him.  He wanted to find a private place to cry.  There was powerful magic in this place, and the spirits here felt his anguish and surrounded him.  

 

Eli smiled sadly at Lily. “Harry will be looked after, don’t worry too much, and I can show you how to enter his dreams, how to return every year so you can see him yourself. He and Severus have an en, their fates are connected. I’ll look after Severus as soon as this conflict is over.” She faced Lily, looked her in the eye, saying, “You died like a samurai. You showed true courage and stopped Riddle. I’m honored you came to me for help. There will be justice.”

“May I ask a favor of you?”

“Certainly,” Eli replied.

“You know about reincarnation.  I want to come back, I want to come back in Avalon.”

“You'll have to ask the Priestesses, get in touch with one of our necromancers. They keep track of all that. You can put in an application to reincarnate in Faerie with them.”

“I want to come back as Severus's daughter.” Eli looked at Lily with an expression of mixed amusement and surprise.

“I got hold of some of the books you gave to the librarian, she liked me.  I know it's possible, that with your people, the soul chooses the parents.  Sev told me you're not a mother, or I'd choose you.”

“Well, then, you’d have to get in contact with the High Priestess and fill out the form. I think it would be a great idea. Severus would be a wonderful father. When you go back through the veil, you can ask Hecate, she’ll be at the altar for the entire festival. The Crone must think highly of you, Lily, you never met, and she took the time out of her busiest holiday to help you. Or maybe more like help Severus."

 

James returned with food he had been given by the monks and sat next to Lily, avoiding looking at Eli.

“I hope you realize whose fault this really was, Potter. If you hadn’t attacked Severus, if you had tried to be his friend, then we all could have worked together, and you would have been hidden in Avalon, where Riddle could never get to you. You were a bully. You started the fight, and look where it got you. Now you left a huge mess for everyone else to clean up. If you want to get out of where you’re going, you’d best reflect on that and admit your guilt.”

“What can I say?” James said. “You are right. I was wrong. I got everyone I cared about killed, put in Azkaban’s or left to fend for themselves. You did try to warn me, and now that I’m dead, I can’t lie to myself anymore.”  His buried his face in his hands as sobs shook his body.  

“And now you come to me for help. Just remember I’m helping Lily and her son, not you.”

“And what if I hadn’t been like that? You wouldn’t have Severus”

“I don’t ‘have’ anyone, and the idea that you can own another person is one of the reasons you did so much stupid shit, Potter. If you had been a decent human being, you’d both still be alive, because Severus would have been your friend, as would I. As for which Lily would have chosen as the father of her child, that’s something only she knows.”

Lily nodded. “I would have chosen you, James, but I was wrong to appease you by turning my back on my oldest friend. I have to get back to him, Eli.”

Eli looked with infinite sadness at the woman before her. “Do you realize what you did to him?”  

Lily and Eli spent most of the night talking about old times, and of Severus.  

 

Harry woke up from a dream in the middle of the night. He had dreamed of his mother, who said she would be going back soon and she’d find him when the time was right. Like most dreams, he forgot it once he was fully awake.

Emerald too woke up smiling. Takeshi would be returning, with Severus’s first love. She did not forget the dream.

The Triad sent a message to Albus, requesting Severus’s presence as soon as possible for consultation on a matter of state. He arrived Saturday morning, met Eli at the plaza and they walked to the Temple together. “Do you know what this is about?” he asked her.

“Yes, but I’d better not say anything. I’ll let them explain.”

They went to the Crone’s room at the Temple, where his mother, the Mother, Emerald, the High Priestess and a black haired Faerie bard named Gabrielle. The women were all seated on sofas, and they were invited to sit down. Cakes and mead were shared. The Crone smiled at Severus. “I can tell by the look on your face Eli didn’t give you even a hint about what we want from you. You’ve already given us what we need, but Eli insisted we at least make a pro forma request for your cooperation.”

The Mother smiled. “Beltane is coming up and Gabrielle and I are going to give birth this next cycle. You have been chosen as the father.”

Severus’s jaw dropped.

The Crone laughed. “Oh, don’t think that … we already have your contribution to the pregnancy. Eli collected your body essence when the two of you were intimate. We’ve already selected the particular samples to be used, they’ve been in our genetic banks waiting.”

Severus turned to Eli. “So, all these years, you’ve been nothing but a succubus, draining me of my ‘precious bodily fluids’ trying to drag me off to Faerie and put me out to stud.”

Eli laughed weakly. “I guess that’s one way of looking at it.”

“Quite so, young Prince,” said the Crone. “Imagine how many wizards would be envious.”

Severus smiled despite his attempt not to.

 

 

The Mother said, “You have no further part in the process but you’d best be here for the delivery next year so you can name them.”

“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to react to this.”

Emerald said, “We wouldn’t ask this of you if it wasn’t so important. We would have waited until later but the times are getting increasingly troubled.”

The High Priestess nodded. “You don’t believe in reincarnation, but that doesn’t change what we know to be true. There are two souls who are needed here. We can’t wait another fifteen hundred years or so for another chance at you. you will understand more as time passes.”

“you’re not asking for my consent, you’re just informing me of what you are going to do, right?”

“Pretty much, Severus,” the Crone said. “Eli can explain the process to you, I’m surprised she hasn’t already.”

The Mother went to Severus, took his hand in hers, smiled her sweetest smile, and said “Thank you for trying to understand our ways.”

 

Eli and Severus left the Temple and went back to her flat. As soon as the door was shut, he took her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. “You said it was safe.”

“No, I said I couldn’t get pregnant. I left that book on Faerie reproduction in plain sight, I thought you’d read it or at least look at the illustrations.”

He blushed.

“We do this a lot. I just collected the fluids after, put them in a vial, and they were stored in the genetic vaults in the Mother’s Center. It’s just a simple extraction and bottling spell, like with tears. It’s kind of hard to explain to you why a particular act is of more significance than others; the emotions of the donor, the collector have an influence on the offspring. And, this may be embarrassing to you, but I’m told during the insemination ceremony, the mother receives my memories of you. I’m not a mother so I know very little about the actual ritual. You should be honored that The Mother herself wants your child. This will be her first, you know. She’s been saying all these years she was waiting for the right soul to ask to reincarnate.”

 

Severus paced the room, then stood at the mantle, staring into the fire. “How am I supposed to feel? I’m to be a father with women I don’t even know.”

“Yeah, and you don’t even get to have sex with them.”

“This is not a good time … if there ever is. I don’t have time to be a father to them.”

“My father spent a lot of time in the other realm. Our mother shared her memories with us and we were shown what he was doing in the Scrying Pool by the Crone. They will know you through me, your mother, my mother; they will have no shortage of caregivers. They will be trained in magic by the Druids. I know you’re conflicted … but if I were to have a child, I would much rather it be here than in the other realm.”

He sat down in a chair and ran his hands through his hair. “I cannot argue with that.”

“And just imagine how jealous Black and Lupin would be if they knew.” He stared at her, then started to laugh.  "Would it be too much to ask to know which 'particular acts' will be used in the process?"  

Eli smiled.  "The first time we were together, that Yule, and the first Beltane we were bonded."   

Severus thought about those nights with Eli.  Their first joining, she was trying to console him, when he finally admitted to himself that he would never have Lily.  That Beltane, he was trying to console her, for the loss of her father.  He knew so little of reincarnation; he wasn't sure he even believed in it, but the Fey did.  He hoped it was so.

 

The next year, at the Vernal Equinox, Severus waited with Eli at the Mother’s Center. The Mother gave birth first, to a girl. They were called to her room and Severus was given the baby to hold. Eli was astounded to see the baby’s eyes shift colors. “She has kaleidoscope eyes”

The High Priestess nodded. “We haven’t seen that in some time. I guess I can relax knowing my replacement has arrived.”

Severus looked at into the girl’s eyes. When their eyes met, her eyes turned green.  He felt a shiver go down his spine when he recognized who it was. “Lily,” he whispered. He looked up. “Her name is Lily.”

He spent the next two days staying with her in the nursery in the Children’s Campus. Then Gabrielle’s time came, and she had a son, with black hair and dark purple eyes. Severus gazed at him, and the baby smiled. “Takeshi.”

The High Priestess looked amused. “So you believe in reincarnation, now?”

Severus smiled at her. “’when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth’”

 

Three days later, Eli stopped by the nursery. She was wearing her field uniform. “I have to go out on patrol, there was a hurricane that hit the equatorial river basin and we have to handle rescue and restoration. I won’t be back before you have to return to Hogwart’s.” Takeshi held out his hands to her. She picked him up, sat down next to Severus and held him on her lap.

“I’m still working out my feelings. You know I was angry with you at first, I thought you’d tricked me for some infernal Faerie purpose … but now … I don’t know how to thank you.”

“It wasn’t just for you. They are here for all of Faerie, and you needed someone to love. You have two to love now. You have a legacy here, and that makes me happy, you won’t run off and leave me. I know I shouldn’t feel that way, like I’m trying to keep you on a leash or something.”

Severus glared at her and said in a soft voice, not wishing to upset the babies, “Why do you do this to me? you pull me in and push me away; How the hell do you think that makes me feel?”

Eli looked stricken, he’d hit her harder than he intended. “You never wanted me, you never loved me, and you knew what I was from the start, Severus. I’m a half breed Faerie, I don’t fit here, I don’t fit there, ‘and if you don’t fit, you’re fit for nothing at all.’ You thought I was just using you like a sex toy, now you think we were just using you like some kind of breeding animal; they’re using me, too. They used me to get you. Didn’t matter that it screwed up my emotions. What I feel for you, it’s just not normal for us. I don’t really, I don’t know how to put it, belong here anymore. I’m not sure who I am. I don’t know what I am. I have to go kill things, clean up messes others made to keep the realms safe. It beats being useless. At least I’m good for something.”

 

“I didn’t mean …”

“It’s me, not you. It’s just that, you know, I was never the one anyone wanted, I wasn’t pretty enough, I wasn’t a healer, just a killer, I’m everyone's second choice, the best I ever get is runner up. Number Two. Sometimes I feel sorry for myself. Sometimes I’d like to be wanted, not settled for. We’ve left a lot unspoken between us. It’s a lot easier to be number two than number one, there’s a lot less pressure, I don’t have any expectations to live up to, and you don’t ask anything of me.”

“Because you always seemed to give me what I wanted before I even knew I wanted it.”

“And you didn’t have any more room inside your heart, I cannot compare with the memory of her. It’s the unconsummated loves that are the most powerful, I think. Because you never are disappointed by the ideal one, the one always out of reach, whose bad habits and annoying foibles are never known, no one can be as perfect as the one you create in your own mind. You seem to think that a person can only love once. Love is supposed to be eternal, so you can still love her. I hope you always will, but that does not preclude you from loving someone else. You can’t love me, and now you have someone you can. You need to love, Severus. That’s more important than being loved. And you should never have to tell anyone you love them. It should be given freely, with no quid pro quo, no deals, no expectations. Which is why it fails so often.”

“It’s just that I’ve never had anything to give you. Lily was right, I’m too damaged to know how I feel, I keep running around in circles and doing the wrong thing. And you, all of the women in your family, you keep taking me back, and I just don’t know how I can ever repay you. Then I realize none of you want to be paid in any way. And then I feel even worse about myself. But don’t you ever tell me again that I can’t love you. You may not want to hear it, but you can’t tell me how to feel. I know what you’re afraid of. You’re afraid you feel about me how I felt about Lily. That it’s hopeless because there is another who has the heart of the one you love …yes, love, Lily was right about you, Eli. You’re terrified you won’t be able to protect me, and it’s worse for you because what you are feeling is considered to be a sign of serious mental illness in this society.”

“And now you are one of us, too, Severus. You can’t take off my ring.” She handed Takeshi to him, and kissed Severus gently on the mouth. “I’d like to take a picture of you three to bring with me.” She pulled out a memory globe.

“Only if you are in it, Eli, with our children. Yes, I know who carried them, but you were the one in my arms.”

“You read the book.”

She activated the device, then sat down next to Severus and the babies> She kissed the babies on the forehead, took them all in her arms.

“’Happy trails,’ Eli.”

“’Until we meet again.’”

 

Severus planned to be a hands-on father whenever he could get the time to come to Faerie.  He read all the books and was tutored by the parents in proper care.  He learned that Faerie babies are born at an more advanced stage of development because of the longer gestational period.   He was present to witness the first manifestation of his children's patronae, Lily's was a phoenix, Takeshi's a dragon.  He could understand their thoughts, almost as well as if he were a Faerie himself.  He hadn't any experience with small children directly, other than to be annoyed by their crying when he was trying to study at Spinner's End.  He learned very young how to cast a Silence spell around his room to block out the noises of the daily life in that sorry corner of England.  

It suddenly occurred to him that the babies in the nursery didn't cry, and realized they didn't need to cry since they were able to master the basics of mentalics soon after birth, and could let caregivers know what they needed. They learned languages quickly, their mothers singing to them the songs in the ancient language, and were learning words in English from him.  For the rest of the term he planned on commuting back and forth between Hogwart's and the nursery and spend the summer here.  

He was getting to know the babies' mothers better, and he liked them.  The Mother was helping him learn the way of the Faerie in daily life, and Gabrielle was teaching all of them music.  He'd resented his father's ban on music in the home when he was growing up.  He was glad that his father was back in the business, accepting that he'd never be a star, just playing for the sake of the music. He found out that Tobias did not divorce Eileen, and she had no intention of returning to Terra.  The only contact he had with his father was an exchange of Christmas cards.  In an early letter he'd confessed to his son he would never get a divorce, would never remarry, but did get a vasectomy and was a "serial monogamist"  

His mother was dancing again, learning the ritual dances for festivals and teaching the Fey ballet and ballroom dance.  There was a cult following for Terran dance, and she became quite popular in Avalon.  He worried about Lily's son.  Albus put him in the home of Lily's sister, Petunia, and Severus knew only too well how much she resented witches and wizards, she was so jealous of her sister's ability.  Yet she would protect the boy; she would never harm a child, he knew that Petunia was trying to protect Lily from him, she meant well.  He did not attempt to go around the rules guarding the boy's privacy and check on his welfare, but he was concerned.  The boy would be at Hogwart's in time, when his mission to guard Lily's son began.  Until then he would focus on these two.  

 

 


	2. Summer 1982

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Note that I took liberties with what history by using Roxy Music's album, Avalon, as a plot device. It's one of my all time favorite albums,and I was fortunate enough to see them on tour with the album. It was the best concert I ever saw in many ways.

Avalon Concert 1982?

Severus got four tickets to the first night Roxy Music was presenting their new album, Avalon. Eli found it amusing to see how the legend of Avalon was perpetuated in the culture, and was a long time fan of the band, especially its lead singer, Bryan Ferry. She thought he looked a lot like Severus, suggesting he cut his hair to look like the glam rocker. “Not bad for art school rockers,” she said of Roxy Music. Jeanne-Marie thought their fashion sense was “intriguing” and the use of metaphor in the lyrics of interest.

Jeanne-Marie’s date, a Vanir healer named Auriel, was of the Snow Wolves. They lived in the middle of the northern continent. All of them had Wolf animagae, with reflective silvery eyes to prevent snowblindess. They raised musk ox for their wool and meat, and he brought Jeanne-Marie an oversized shawl, with long fringes, in jet black quiviet wool, with a pattern of gold thread, made of the finest bullion, over a cloth of gold strapless bodice laced up the low cut back, like a corset, and a tulip skirt in black silk gabardine that extended to a point at the back of her ankles.. She wore black fishnet stockings and black ankle strap dance shoes with two inch heels. Her only jewelry was an opera length string of black pearls. Eli wore a floor length, long sleeved cheongsam dress, in clinging orange silk, slit up to her hipbones. She wore ankle high buttoned boots with a small, tapered wedge heel. Her only jewelry was the snake bracelet twined around her wrist, sparkling on the silk. Both of the men wore tuxedos, in the finest heavyweight silk gabardine, perfectly fitted. Severus wore his black opal studs and cuff links, Auriel wore black pearls to match Jeanne-Marie.

When the group got out of the limo in front of the venue, they became the center of attention, due to Jeanne-Marie in particular, everyone wanting to know who they were. One of the journalists recognized them as Takeshi Morgan’s daughters, “all grown up now” as he said. He also remembered Severus, Tobias’s son. Tobias had recently opened a club in Vancouver; it was hailed in the music press for its studios and support for beginning musicians. He’d seen Eli and Severus at Rory Gallagher gigs, wearing jeans and T shirts, of course. He’d never seen her this dressed up; the only other female in the crowd, or backstage, for that matter, more beautiful than Eli was Jeanne-Marie.

The journalist approached Severus as they were shown to their seats, on the aisle a few rows back from the front. Auriel sat furthest in, then Jeanne-Marie, Eli, and Severus on the aisle.

“Severus Snape, I don’t know if you remember me, I’m ______, I write for -_____.  
Severus smiled at him, “Yes, I’ve seen you around,”

The journalist continued, “And of course, Eli and Jeanne-Marie, Takeshi’s daughters, with Tobias’s son. I heard about the bar in Vancouver your father started, in memory of Takeshi, a dream of theirs to open a place where all their friends could come and play. I’m going to the West Coast next month, I may write a piece about it.”

“Give him my best,” Severus said, with a tight smile.

“I remember Father talking about doing this . . . I love the West Coast, I try to stop by now and then, during baseball season,” Eli said, smiling at the reporter.

“I’d better get to my seat,” the journalist said. “See you around,” he waved as he went away.

The front rows were filling up with the cognoscenti of the London art rock, or glam rock, as it was being called, all dressed up in their best, strutting for the photographers. Eli and Jeanne-Marie got the death glare from the professional female beauties being paraded like the prime stock they were. The two Faeries completely ignored everyone else, quietly chatting with Severus and Auriel.

Auriel had cast a spell on the group so that there would be some sort of apparent camera malfunction if any of them were in view. None of their faces would be visible in any pictures, only their backs were seen, faces obscured, flashes didn’t work, that sort of thing.

Right before the performance was to begin, a man dressed almost as elegantly as Auriel and Severus approached them with a note in his hand.

  
“Hello, I’m ________, the band’s manager, this is from Bryan, to Eli, ‘the woman in orange like a flame’ as he said.

“You two are the most beautiful women here,” he said, as he handed Severus the note and four backstage passes on lanyards.

“We don’t mean to be, we just are,” Jeanne-Marie replied in a bored voice. “No, we’re not models, and no, we don’t want to be, and no, we don’t want our pictures taken with anyone.”

The man smiled. “Understood. Bryan would be honored if you four would stop backstage on your way out, he would like to meet you.”

Jeanne-Marie raised her eyebrows. Severus handed Eli the note, which she opened up and read, then handed it to her sister, who laughed.

The professional pretties in their vicinity did not disguise their displeasure with the sisters’s competition. The two wore little makeup in comparison, disguising their natural eye color, of course.

The concert was wonderful. The music was inspired, played superbly by a band at their artistic peak.

The band’s manager escorted the group backstage, where the journalist introduced them to the band’s guitar player.

“What an honor, to meet the children of Takeshi Morgan and Tobias Snape, I remember listening to their records, inspired me to play,” he’d told them. Bryan Ferry detached himself from the people he was with to greet them, walking up to Eli with a smile. “The Lady in Orange, Eli, and her sister, Jeanne-Marie, the loveliest women here,” looking at Eli’s legs. He’d been staring at her legs as she walked backstage, the perfect Amazon, carrying herself like a warrior. “Do you dance?”  
“Only with him,” she replied, grasping Severus’s left hand. Severus smiled at her.

Bryan smiled at Eli, examining the black, gold, and orange dragon embroidered on the dress.

Eli smiled back. “Note the dragon is wearing a baseball cap and a glove, holding the pearl, I’m a San Francisco Giants fan, you know. It was a lovely concert, a wonderful album, a tribute to Avalon, and you are so elegant, Bryan. I don’t want to keep our driver waiting, thank you so much for inviting us to your party, perhaps we shall meet again?”

“Perhaps someplace a little less crowded?” Bryan said, and bowed to Eli as he handed her a card. She reached for it with her left hand, still holding Severus’s hand with her right, and Bryan gently kissed the back of her hand. He felt he should bow, somehow. The bracelet caught his eye, the diamond snake seemed to look at him with emerald eyes.

He turned to Jeanne-Marie, bowed as he handed her a card, kissing her hand with elegant grace.

Jeanne-Marie smiled at him. She didn’t usually like Terran males, but this one was nice; would it be worth the drama? She looked him up and down as she tucked the card into the cleavage of her bodice and tightening the shawl around her torso.

As they left the dressing room, Severus put his arm around Eli, and glanced over his shoulder at Bryan. They made eye contact. Bryan understood. This man didn’t share. But the other one, the prettier one . . . the man she was with looked to be like some sort of Northern god, the only man better looking than he was. Bryan didn’t like that kind of competition. Especially on his opening night.

Eli led the group out of the stage door and out to the street, where Aeron drove up, “as if by magic” the journalist later said.

“Well, next time we should dress down,” Eli said as the limo sped through the streets to their London flat. “Even with the hexes on the cameras, I don’t like this much public attention. Those were great seats, weren’t they?”

Auriel smiled. “Yes, they were, and that band is fantastic, but I don’t much care for this realm, the air is so foul, and the smells … I realize they don’t have our sensory sensitively, but how can they stand it all the time?”

“Those poor women, so insecure about their looks, it’s hard to not laugh at them, isn’t it?” Jeanne-Marie rolled her eyes. “And that Bryan, has to be surrounded by the most beautiful women, rather a ponce, I think. He has talent and he is good looking, you know, he looks quite a bit like you, younger brother.” She sighed. “It’s just too much baggage, being a ‘celebrity’ in this realm, with that Secrecy nonsense. The air does stink.”

Jeanne-Marie patted Auriel’s hand. “It’s not so bad on the Farm, let’s go there right away, get some food in the kitchen with the elves. I love this shawl, it’s so warm and so light!”

The Vanir nodded. “We use a lot of this to line uniforms and make blankets for the troops in Tibet, it’s the best material available. We’re going on a mission tomorrow to evacuate some musk ox in Canada who lost their range, add them to the herd. Have you ever been to our lands, Severus?”

“No, not yet. I know that your people are all Snow Wolves and you guard the musk ox, aren’t you animagae the only canines in Faerie?”

Auriel nodded. “The only close relatives are the fox species. We hypothesize that the canines have another realm they are attracted to, just as equines and felines seem to be drawn to this one more than other species. Musk ox are wonderful companions, you know, playful and sweet natured. When it’s time to groom them in the spring, it’s a big party for everyone.”

“I’ve seen pictures of your underground villages, I do want to see them during the midnight sun when the sky is lit up, hitting the faceted domes over the gardens, with a hot springs at the entrance. I understand that the Solstice party lasts a week there.”

“Eli, you should take him to my dome this year for the Solstice.”

 

When they got back to the flat, Jeanne-Marie and Auriel floo’d back to the Farm.

  
Eli removed the shimmering orange silk dress and hung it in the wardrobe, replacing it with a soft flannel shirt dress. She rolled the sleeves up and then helped Severus get out of his tuxedo. “I think you got Bryan Ferry jealous, this fits you better than his . . . I saw him look you over and give you the stank eye.”

Severus laughed. “And then … that line . .. ‘I dance only with him’ as you grabbed me … oh, it was something, the look on his face.”

“It happens to be true, Severus.”

“Do you think Older Sister would be interested?”

“No, she told me she doesn’t find Terran males to be enough for her, most of them are too puny, or words to that effect. She’s very strong, you know, needs a male who can handle it. Don’t look at me that way. There are a very few Terran males worth the effort, and I already have you . . . Ferry is quite attractive, his songs are interesting, but those album covers, more than a little bit off putting . . . except for this one. Older Sister truly is fond of Auriel, you know they met while studying with the Healers, they have different places to be and don’t get to spend much time together, or they would probably pair bond.”

Severus put on well washed jeans and a clean white T shirt. They went to the kitchen, Eli making a pot of coffee while Severus brought out some apples and pie crust ingredients. Eli sliced apples and ground spices while Severus made pastry.

“The gossip at Diagon Alley is all about how the elders of the ‘blood’ clans are relocating overseas, apparently Riddle doesn’t want people around who remember when he was a schoolboy and he wasn’t welcome in their homes.” She shook her head as she began to grind the spices she used. The aroma of cinnamon always made Eli feel better, and as the smell of the baking pies filled the kitchen, Severus began to relax a little.

The hardest part about being undercover is the constant stress, the need to find a safe space to stand down. It was safe only with the Fey, and the clan on Torayama. It was too dangerous to have even the slightest contact with Frank and Alice; they were being targeted by Riddle’s minions. Regulus communicated with them via Rhiannon, who stayed at school, venturing out only for Quidditch matches, where she and Regulus could meet.

Despite their best efforts to stay on the fringes, Regulus and Severus were being drawn in closer to Riddle than either wanted. People were being disappeared. Athena Addington and her coven of forensic witches were overwhelmed with cases that no one in the Ministry wanted to talk about in open court.

Severus examined the bowls and baking tools. “Mother left almost everything behind when she moved to Avalon . . . took only photographs and presents she got from me and my father. She left even more at Spinner’s End. Father didn’t take much of his stuff when he left. I’ve been clearing most of it out, fitting shelves everywhere, I think I can get most of Grandfather’s library in there, the books I don’t need at the laboratory.”

“She moved in Mother’s old place, since Mother moved into Father’s place next door. Even got a horse of her own, she fits in well.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit odd for our mothers to be such close friends?”

“What do you mean? They were never really rivals, more like sisters,” Eli said. “Your mother and my father were best friends from the day they met. Yes, she did carry a torch for him, so did a lot of people! But my father, when he met Emerald, when he was 13, that was it for him. He never could have been what your mother wanted in a husband, they both knew it. The nature of his mission in life was such that he and Emerald had to lead their own lives, and intersecting whenever they could.”

She sat down next to him. “I remember the first time I saw the video, you know the one,of the band playing in that London dive, with your mother dancing? I asked who the man playing guitar next to my father was, and who the woman was. I remember Father looked sad, and said the woman was his best friend at school, and the guitar player was the best guitar player he ever worked with, how he hadn’t seen them in years and he missed them terribly, that it was their choice to cut him off and he hoped someday they could reconcile.”

“They were when your father died; after that, my father spent most of his time playing guitar, alone in his room. I’ve gotten some letters, he’s keeping busy working on his place, first thing he did was set up a studio and he’s working on those songs Takeshi left him.”

Eli realized he was thinking of his children in Avalon. He had a strict rule: He never discussed his children on this side of the mists, not with anyone, not even her. It was easy to keep this secret because there was very little travel allowed by Terrans to Avalon, and access to the Farm was restricted. This suited the Fey just fine. Only those Terrans with a bona fide reason to be there, as Severus had his fiduciary relationship with the Embassy and the Morgan family funds, with Cordelia Morgan as co signatory, were allowed on the premises.

“Let’s go to Avalon tonight. We can get caught up with the gossip when we go to Kyoto, Rhiannon and Rowan have tickets to the Roxy Music concert there, I’ll have to get on the mirror and tell them what a great concert it was, they love the album. It’s a lot safer on the Rim of Fire right now, even with the daemons. Rhiannon is keeping the Aurors over there informed about who is riding with Riddle. How are things going at Hogwarts?”

“All things considered, quite well. The Slytherin house leader, Aurelia the Runes Mistress, is grooming me to take over when she retires. It’s a lot more pay, and prestige. And a lot easier to keep an eye on people.”

“Obviously.”


	3. Summertime In Avalon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus has to get a new horse when BlackJack moves in with Takeshi.

ResurgamCh3

When the pies were done, Severus put them on the window ledge to cool in the night breeze. When they had cooled enough to be handled, he carefully covered them, wrapped them in towels, and packed them in a tote bag, leaving one of the four for the house elves, who came to feed and play with the cats at least once a day. 

They floo’d to the loft. Severus gave each horse one pie, then sliced up the last one for the nisser, Eli and himself. They groomed the horses, put on their gear, and then took the hillgate to Avalon. They put the horses in their room at Eli’s flat, and went on foot to the Children’s House. 

Both of the babies had just been fed and were being sung to their mothers. Severus looked into Lily’s crib, and saw the tortoiseshell cat he’d taken away that night. 

“Your mother brought the children to her place one day, and the cat went to her and hasn’t left her side ever since,” the Mother smiled. 

“Will BlackJack feel the same about Takeshi?” Severus asked. 

“Bring him tomorrow and we’ll see,” Eli replied. 

 

Severus looked down at Lily, with the cat snuggled up against her. Both the baby and the cat looked at him, Lily’s eyes turned green as the cat purred loudly. He scratched the cat under the chin, and kissed Lily on her forehead.  
“Goodnight, my Faerie princess” he murmured. He turned to Takeshi, kissed his son, “Goodnight, little prince.” 

Eli and Severus walked back to her flat. She’d told him how each baby had caregivers and at least one was with the child until he or she was old enough to be left alone. Severus would take over as much caregiving as he could when he was in Avalon. He discovered he had a psychic link with his children, could easily feel their thoughts, due to the genetic connection, and the more time he spent with them, the stronger it became. 

“It’s because you are their father, you were there for their birth, and they are both returnees with the strongest psychic links possible. And of course, you attend the festivals, you study at the College of Druids, so it’s not surprising how quickly you’re adapting. Not to mention the ring. You’re being assimilated, Severus. And how does that make you feel?” Eli grinned at him. 

Severus grinned back. “I save all my smiles for Faeries, Eli.” 

“Yes, I’m hearing about your reputation as a mean but fair potions tyrant, you never smile, and suffer no fools gladly, but gladly make fools suffer. Minerva told me that the Potions test scores are going up since you took over. It does follow a well proven theory in human behavior, that one learns better when under duress, the military prove that over the eons. You’re the Drill Sergeant, your students, like soldiers, will never forget what you taught them.” 

Severus laughed. “I don’t play to the lowest common denominator; those with no talent or interest drop the classes after they’ve met the minimum requirement for graduation, which means I have more time to work with those who are interested and gifted. They have to earn it with me.”

“I know, Severus, I know,” Eli smirked. “You sure made me earn it with you.” 

“I’m worth it,” he replied, and hugged her.

“Yes, you are, she said, fitting her body next to his and kissing him.

 

The next morning they ate breakfast with the horses, and rode to the Children’s Campus stables. There were Terran horses as well as unicorns and some Faerie horses. Eli had explained that Terran horses were common here, Faeries rescued as many as they could, and an interesting bond formed – the Faerie horses treated the Terran horses as pets. Children too small to ride the Faerie horses rode them, since it was easy to form a bond with the more docile breed. Before they walked, as soon as they could hold themselves upright the children rode unicorns, with a caregiver walking along side. 

The unicorns taught the infants how to relate to equines, as well as how to balance on the back of one. As soon as the child could walk, the child would move up to other creatures, usually Terran horses, occasionally a Faerie horse would choose a young child, according to the texts, returnees are always recognized by the animals they lived with and loved. Severus was aware that this could mean that BlackJack would prefer to stay in Avalon. Which meant he’d have to get his own horse. 

Emerald, Eileen, Gabrielle, and The Mother were gathered with their horses near the entry. “The First Ride” was a cause for celebration, a developmental step taken. Takeshi and Lily were held by their mothers. BlackJack sniffed Takeshi and whuffed a greeting at him. Takeshi laughed and stroked the horse’s nose. Eli and Severus looked at each other. They’d be taking food to the horse park soon. 

The two mothers, with Severus between them, went to where the unicorns were standing, watching them. Severus fed the unicorns honeycakes he’d made, and they sniffed over the children, vocalizing their consent. The women put their children on the unicorn’s back, then the three walked out in a line, Severus between the two unicorns and the children’s mothers on the opposite side of the unicorns. The others followed them and they all left the Campus in a group, heading down the avenue to the embarcadero. The horses considered this to be the formal introduction of the children to the Herd. 

Emerald’s parents had set up a picnic lunch on the waterfront, where her sister and nephews noticed BlackJack’s fawning over Takeshi. 

“Looks like you’ve got to take a trip to the Horse Park,” Asimov observed. “He’s going to want to stay with Takeshi.”

“What’s that like?” Severus asked. 

Eli laughed. “It’s like being a girl at a Hogwart’s dance without a date waiting to be asked to dance. Grandmother, do you think you could make us some of your chocolate truffles?” 

“Of course.”

Emerald smiled. “Bring lots of food and let those looking for a two legger check you out. You may have to return a few times.” 

“I’m glad they’re back together,” Severus said. “BlackJack missed him so much. Remember how sad he was, for so long?” 

Eli nodded. “I’m glad both of us have some free time because we’re going to have to spend some time in the kitchen, making our best stuff. That’s one of the ways they select their two legger.”

As the sun began to set, they returned to the Horse section of the Children’s Campus. Severus removed the headset that held the mindgem on BlackJack’s third eye. It was made by Emerald for Takeshi when he came to this park in his last life. It was made of soft black kidskin, over a core of fine Faerie metal chain, which fastened over the ears and under the throat with a bolo like clasp made of an uncut, large black diamond. He took off his headband as they left the stable. BlackJack introduced himself to the other equines living there. 

By the time Severus, Eli and Yojimbo got back to Eli’s flat, Severus had decided what he would cook. 

“Get that rib roast you were marinating, I am going to make my Yorkshire Pudding. Make some of those triple ginger cookies, bring me the baking supplies, let’s see, cream horns with a honey violet filling, jam tarts . . . “ He went to the cooler and poked his head in. “How about you steam those veggies and give them a soy glaze? And a fruit compote . . . with carbonated cider . . .” 

Eli lined up the ingredients and measured them out as needed. Severus made the tarts, then the shells for the cream horns, as Eli prepared the fruits for the compote and cut the vegetables into same sized pieces. She put sugar on the fruits into large, straight sided glass bowls, and put them into the cooler for maceration. She made three dozen triple ginger cookies, giving Yojimbo a few as they cooled. 

“I’ll make the pudding tomorrow morning and then go to the nursery. You wait here until the roast is done, then pack everything up and meet me at the park at noon. Let’s get some sleep.” 

 

They got up early, and Severus got busy finishing the dishes. The roast and Yorkshire pudding were put in the oven, and he filled the cream horns, garnishing the with candied violets, and packing them carefully in a box. As always, he gave Yojimbo the bowl to lick. 

Eli went back to bed to take a nap. She woke up before noon, packed the food into insulated carriers, with utensils and mess kits on Yojimbo’s pack saddle. They walked to the horse park, along the boulevard that lead from the lake shore to the Temple entrance on the foot of the Spiral Path Hill, largest of the Seven Sacred Hills that formed the center of the island. Equines of all kinds gathered there to eat communally with people and other beings. 

The tradition was that people who wanted a horse would come with a lot of food and those horses who were interested in working with a person would come to meet them. The signal was to bring a saddle and saddle cloth and put it up on one of the tables. Eli picked a table and turned Yojimbo loose to go socialize, and as she was setting up the food, Emerald and Eileen arrived on their horses, with a saddle, breast strap, saddle bags they had made for him, of black leather and Faerie metal hardware. Emerald created a Faerie metal dragon, with emerald eyes, set in the center of the breast strap. Eileen made him a saddle blanket of heaviest black velvet, with a sigil formed from his initials embroidered in the rear corners.

Severus came soon after they had set the table. He was smiling. 

“How are the kids? And BlackJack?” Eli asked, as Severus finished the table display with a platter of cookies and the pastry horns with a sprinking of candied flowers. 

“Takeshi was riding a unicorn and BlackJack walked up, picked him up by the back of his jacket and put him on his back. Takeshi was thrilled. Gabrielle rode behind him. Did you know that BlackJack has a pet already? One of those rehabbed Tennessee Walkers, you know, those horses they abuse so horribly in the States? So barbaric. Should be a good mount for Lily when she’s ready. Smooth gaits, great dispositions, they have to be, to put up with the treatment they get, makes me sick to think of it.” 

“That sounds nice. Look, here comes Yojimbo, he’s with that grey, you know, Gorgeous George? Never wants to go to a table with a saddle? Some horses are like that, they live with us but just don’t pair off with a human.” 

“Maybe he’s just picky,” Severus replied as the grey trotted directly to him. He handed the horse a cream horn, which was eaten in a gulp. The horse then sniffed his face, and whuffed at him, the universal equine greeting. Severus responded in kind. He slipped the headgear with the mindgem on the horse’s head. “Let’s eat.”


End file.
